Home-type beverage dispenser



July l, 1969 v R.T. CRNELIUS 3,452,903

' HOME-TYPE BEVERAGE DIsIfENsER Filed June 2s, 196'6 Z v i www.Riwzim a l l l United States Patent 3,452,903 HOME-TYPE BEVERAGE DISPENSER Richard T. Cornelius, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to The Cornelius Company, Anoka, Minn., a corporatlon of Minnesota Filed June 28, 1966, Ser. No. 561,079 Int. Cl. B67d 1/16 U.S. Cl. 222-108 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates generally to home-type beverage dispensers ofthe pressurized-tank type which are normally stored in a domestic refrigerator.

Although the principles of the present invention may be included in various beverage dispensers, a particularly useful application is made in a pressurized tank of the type used to dispense beer at home.

Usually beer dispensers of this type are stored in a refrigerator and are not removed for dispensing. Thus any dripping from the dispensing faucet necessitates either an immediate wiping of the apparatus by hand, or else an untidy or unsanitary situation rapidly develops within such refrigerator. Present commercially available constructions have a rigid end which tapers radially outwardly so as to have the largest inside diameter at the axially extreme end of the tank. Tanks of this type are disposed horizontally, and any dripping on such internal surface of that ange will thus ow downhill relatively rapidly, and may cling to the surface of the tank and flow axially on the outside of the tank, back underneath. Such construction is provided by machining, and heretofore it has been entirely impractical to provide any interruption in such contour.

The present invention contemplates the utilization of a sponge secured to the flange beneath the spout, the sponge preferably being sealed on all but the upper surface, and preferably being disposed in a nest or pocket in the tank flange.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved beverage dispensing device of the pressurized-tank type.

Another object of the present invention is to provide sponge means in combination with such device for serving as a trip tray.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a sponge that can readily be replaced, such as when the pressurized tank is refilled, thereby enabling clean sanitary dispensing of the beverage from a home refrigerator.

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Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in lthe art upon reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheet of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

On the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in cross-section, of a home-type beverage dispenser provided with a sponge in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational View of the structure shown in FIG. 1.

As shown on the drawing:

The principles of this invention are particularly useful when embodied in a liquid dispensing device of the hometype beer dispensing kind s-uch as illustrated in FIG. l, generally indicated by the numeral 10. The dispensing device 10 includes a pressurizable tank 11 for storing the liquid under pressure, which is to be dispensed. The device 10 includes at least one annular skirt 12 surrounding the end of the tank 11 that contains a dispensing valve generally indicated at 13 and having a downwardly directed spout 14. Thus the spout 14 is disposed centrally within the annular skirt 12. Below the spout 14, the annular skirt 12 is provided with a nest or recess 15 which receives a sponge 16 and holds the same securely in position. Such attachment may be by means of a yfrictional fit, and it may be augmented by pressure-sensitive adhesive, or the like. Preferably the sponge 16 is removable for replacement or cleaning.

In a preferred embodiment, the sponge 16 comprises cellulose, and the cellulose itself is sealed against leakage on all surfaces of the sponge 16 except that side 17 which faces the spout 14. Where the sponge 16 is rectangular as shown, the four vertical sides and the bottom side are thus preferably sealed.

The skirt 12 preferably comprises rubber or vinyl of a semihard type, and these materials are considered to have the same physical properties. The nature of the material from which the skirt 12 is made enables the skirt 12 to provide a shock-absorbing function, and as such materials are readily moldable, lthe provision of the nest 15 is facilitated. The skirt 12 is permanently bonded to the tank 11. The Skirt 12 preferably also includes an aperture 18 by which a nonprojecting handle portion 19 is provided which is disposed diametrically opposite to the nest 15. If desired, the handle portion 19 may be reinforced by internal means 20 to give it additional rigidity. As best seen in FIG. 2, the skirt is further provided with means in the nature of a foot 21 which extends to opposite sides of the sponge 16 for holding the device 10 against rolling out of a position where the sponge 16 is lowermost.

When a brewer refills the tank 11, he also first cleans it and cleans the valve 13 and spout 14. At that time, the sponge 16 is either reconditioned or replaced so as to be free of any prior drippings. During use, any dripping from the faucet 14 will be collected by the sponge 16 and be retained therein. If, due to an inadvertence, the sponge 16 should become saturated, the sponge 16 can readily be moved to a more convenient place than the refrigerator for service.

When home beer dispensers of the pressurized type are moved about, the carbonation of the beer therein becomes unstable, and therefore moving of devices of this general type into and out of a refrigerator must of necessity be minimized in order to minimize the instability and hence the tendency for the beer to break up into foam. By the present construction, means have been provided which enable the device to be left in the refrigerator in a sanitary condition for extended periods of time without the inconvenience of using a wiping cloth with the device at each dispensing operation to insure clean and sanitary conditions. Moreover, the structure of itself is so made that normally the sponge 16 will always be centered below the spout 14.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon, all such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A liquid dispensing device, comprising:

(a) a pressurized tank for the liquid to be dispensed;

(b) a dispensing valve connected to an end of said tank and having a spout directed downwardly for dispensing;

(c) a separate skirt disposed at and secured to one end of said tank, said skirt having horizontal and vertical wall portions defining a pocket beneath said spout;

(d) a sponge disposed in said pocket; and

(e) a handle secured to said one end of said tank directly above said pocket;

whereby on lifting said device by said handle any liquid in said pocket is retained by said skirt.

2. A liquid dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein said skirt is annular and surrounds said one end of said tank, said handle forming an integral part of said skirt.

3. A liquid dispensing device according to claim 1 wherein said tank is cylindrical, said skirt having integral external portions on which the device rests during dispensing which comprise means for holding said device against rolling out of a position where said sponge is below said spout.

4. A liquid dispensing device according to claim 2 wherein said tank is cylindrical, said skirt having integral external portions on which the device rests during dispensing which comprise means for holding said device against rolling out of a position where said sponge is below said spout.

5. A liquid dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the material of said sponge is sealed on all its surfaces except that surface which faces said spout.

6. A liquid dispensing device according to claim 1 wherein said handle, said spout, said pocket and the center of gravity of the device are substantially in a vertical plane.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 165,399 7/1875 Wyckoff 222-108 X 2,673,010 3/1954 Barrow 222-108 X 2,847,144 8/ 1958 Cornelius 220-69 2,936,926 5/1960 Miller 220-69 X 3,128,019 4/1964 Mills 222-399 X 3,143,238 8/1964 Bulgrin 220-66 X 3,195,788 7/1965 Wilson 222-399 3,239,102 3/1966 Heydon et al. 222-399 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,089,860 10/1954 France.

50,124 12/ 1889 Germany.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. 

